Department for Transport to create 650 new jobs in Birmingham and Leeds
The Department for Transport (DfT) will create 650 jobs in Birmingham and Leeds as part of plans to create new outposts in the cities.
The department will open a new headquarters in the Midlands city, as well as a “northern hub” in Leeds.
The plan is part of a wider government drive to move 22,000 Civil Service jobs outside of London by the end of the decade.
A new Treasury outpost in Darlington was announced as part of the Budget earlier this month, while the housing ministry will also move 500 roles to Wolverhampton.
And Leeds has already been marked down as the location for the government’s new infrastructure bank.
A spokesperson for the DfT said that all the jobs in Birmingham and Leeds would be new, with no one moving out of the capital.
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Transport secretary Grant Shapps said: “This is a historic move for the Department and part of a significant wider culture change across Whitehall.
“Transport is absolutely vital to the local communities we serve and having hubs in major cities like Birmingham and Leeds will offer a fresh perspective on how we can better serve these areas.”
West Midlands mayor Andy Street said: “The West Midlands has undergone a transport revolution in recent years, with the reopening of old railway lines, expanded tram routes, and an upgraded green bus fleet, along with the rollout of e-scooters and a cycle hire scheme.
“The DfT will be right at home here, and I look forward to welcoming the team to the best connected region in the UK.
“Along with the relocation of MHCLG to Wolverhampton, this is a major vote of confidence in the West Midlands and a huge jobs boost at what is an incredibly difficult economic time.”
DfT has already hired around 100 roles in Birmingham and Leeds.